1. Related Technical Fields
Related technical fields include devices, methods, and programs that recognize a lane on which a vehicle is traveling, for example, by using image information including a captured image of at least a lane marking around the vehicle.
2. Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. JP-A2000-105898 (pages 21-22, FIGS. 24, 25) discloses an on-vehicle navigation apparatus that recognizes the position of a vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle. The apparatus includes a camera capturing an image of a surface of a forward area of a road where the vehicle is traveling. The apparatus detects changes in width of lane markings (white lines) marked on the road surface. The apparatus determines that the vehicle is traveling on a right branch when the width of the white line on the left of the vehicle increases, and determines that the vehicle is traveling on a left branch when the width of the right white line increases. In this manner, the apparatus is capable of determining the branch that the vehicle is traveling after passing through a branch point. Further, when the branch determination has a specific cycle, the apparatus determines whether each of the white lines on the right and left of the vehicle is a dashed line or a solid line. Thereby, the apparatus is capable of determining on which lane the vehicle is traveling. The apparatus is further capable of determining whether the vehicle has changed lanes, according to a certain distance movement of the white lines in the right or left direction relative to the vehicle.
Based on the travel information obtained by these determinations, the position of the vehicle can be specified even when the vehicle has passed through a branch point or the like, and based on the specified position of the vehicle, the vehicle can be properly controlled.